Fujitsu's new memory could replace flash soon

ReRAM solid-state memory for more storage in smaller package

It probably won't matter a great deal to the proverbial man on the Clapham omnibus, but Fujitsu's latest memory breakthrough may one day replace the flash memory found in most of our current gadgets.

Resistive RAM, or ReRAM, has been on the drawing board for a few years now as an alternative to flash memory. Both forms can hold data when a device is switched off, but flash is getting close to its limit in terms of how far it can be miniaturised, hence the need for an alternative if capacities are to grow as needed while keeping overall size down.

Up to the task

ReRAM, on the other hand, is not only relatively cheap to make, but it can also get considerably smaller. Until now, though, there has been a problem in making ReRAM that is reliable enough for the job.

Fujitsu's development finally brings the required stability and speed to the ReRAM table, both of which suggest a commercial implementation is just years, rather than decades, away.